Montreal Canadiens defenceman and alternate captain P.K. Subban has a reputation for being a powerhouse player, and his style game is getting him noticed off the ice too. RW&CO. tapped the Toronto native, his brothers (also NHL players) and his father to be the faces of its new
suit collection.  

Were you always the most stylish kid in the class? “I always took pride in the way I looked [because] my mom always taught my two brothers, my sisters and me to look a certain way when we left the house. That sort of grew as I got older; I wanted to make sure that I was well groomed and prepared to go out in public, but I also wanted to make sure that I wore things that were appealing not only to me but other people. At the time, I could never really afford expensive shoes or clothing. I learned that I had to make do with what I had and invent my own style.”

Who is your style icon? “I try to take bits and pieces from everybody. I don’t think you can say that you want to be like one person. I think what makes everybody unique is that they can have their own style. You have to look at different people and see the greatness in what each one is wearing.”

What’s the one style rule you live by?
“I’m a fan of the classic tie. The skinny tie I can tolerate, but the bow tie should only be worn with a tuxedo or at a black-tie event; other than that, you should just leave it in the drawer until it’s time to pull it out.”

How do you navigate trends? “I believe in trends, but I also believe in manipulating a trend so it’s specific to you. For instance, there are a lot of people trying to wear different styles of hats. I don’t think hats are for everyone, but I do think that the style and colour and how you wear it are what matters. Maybe you put a feather in your hat–there are different things you can do to make it your own.”

If you had to give men one piece of fashion advice, what would it be? “Be yourself! I think the most important thing in fashion is that you need to feel comfortable and believe that what you’re wearing represents you.”

 

Originally published in the Fall 2015 issue of ELLE Man.

 

READ MORE:
Are jumpsuits really what men want?
Every time celebrities wore pyjamas in public
A designer’s vision: Jeremy Scott